ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s foreign ministry on Friday urged French authorities to review a ban on traditional over-garments, abaya, worn by some Muslim girls in schools, saying the restriction was “Islamophobic” in nature.
President Emmanuel Macron’s government last month announced the ban on abaya in schools as it broke the rules on secularism in education. France has already banned headscarves on grounds that they constitute a display of religious affiliation.
On Thursday, France’s top administrative court upheld the government ban and rejected complaints by an association representing Muslims that it was “discriminatory” and could “incite hatred.” The court ruled the French law did not allow anyone to wear visible signs of any religious affiliation in schools.
In exclusive comments to The Independent’s Urdu service, a spokesperson for the Pakistani foreign ministry said the French ban “impinges” on the rights of women and girls to profess their identity and effectively participate in public affairs.
“This is a concerning development as it pertains to the rights of women and girls to profess their identity and impinges on their right to effective and meaningful participation in conduct of public affairs,” the spokesperson said.
“Such measures are also Islamophobic in nature and violate Muslim girls and women’s human rights and freedoms, especially the freedoms of expression and religion. We urge the French authorities to review their decision on abaya ban.”
France, which has enforced a strict ban on religious symbols in state schools since 19th century laws removed any traditional Catholic influence from public education, has struggled to update guidelines to deal with a growing Muslim minority.
The strict brand of secularism, known as “laicite,” is a sensitive topic, and one often quick to trigger tension.
Around 10 percent of France’s 67 million inhabitants are Muslim, according to official estimates.
Most have origins in northern African countries Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia, which were French colonies until the second half of the 20th century.
